Ownership of this property can be traced back to a family of blacksmiths named Carver, headed by Henry Carver (1819-1888) who first had his blacksmith shop on Union Avenue but moved it to this approximate location in 1886. He advertised that the shop did “shipsmithing, machinery work, and general blacksmithing.” One of his sons, John E. Carver (1849-1902), who worked with his father, continued to run the blacksmithing business here after Henry’s death. Henry’s other son was William A. Carver. The property passed through some Carver family members until 1919 when they had A. Hamlin Carver (1858-1943), an attorney, correct the title and sell the property to Ulysses G. Way (1863-1946) and his wife, Rebecca J. Way (1869-1924).

After the death of Rebecca, Ulysses added the names of his children (Edward U. Way, William F. Way, and Rebecca B. Way) to the deed in 1927. Ulysses G. Way became well known for serving as a member of the “Ducking Police” in Havre de Grace in 1937, having been appointed by Governor Harry Nice. The first Ducking Police were named in an 1872 Maryland statute. Each served a two-year term to uphold new laws passed by the Maryland General Assembly to regulate shooting on the legal boundary limits of the Susquehanna Flats.

Members of the Way family owned this property for about 37 years until 1956 when Edward U. Way (1895-1980) and his wife Alice Wallett Way (1909-1985), William F. Way and his wife Rose Way, along with Rebecca B. Way sold the property to James T. Brown, Sr., and Ellen P. Brown. Edward and Alice Way are known to have built a home in 1940 at 812 South Stokes Street, where Alice lived until she sold it 40 years later. Alice was a popular kindergarten teacher in Havre de Grace. One of the daughters of Edward and Alice is Lillo Way, who became a professional ballerina and choreographer with the Lillo Way Dance Company in New York and is now known for her poetry. When living here she taught ballet to several young people including Cathy Hutchins Vincenti and Cindi Jamison.

The Browns lived here for about 30 years, while Ellen worked as a nurse at Harford Memorial Hospital. In 1987 the Browns sold this (#311) to Marcello Augusto Vache and Martha D. Vache, who are related to the Dennis family of North Union Avenue. At the same time, owners of the house next door at #319 defaulted and it had gained a new owner in 1983—William M. Meiser, Jr. In 1991, the Vaches bought that property also when William Meiser was moving. It most likely became an investment property for the Vaches, who continued to live in #311.

In 2003, the Vache family sold both properties to Mary Lynn Snyder, the wife of Carey Snyder, both of whom have been real estate investors in Havre de Grace for decades. Over the next couple of years, Mary Lynn demolished what had been 319 Bourbon Street and completely redesigned and rebuilt #311 as a single family home with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, an adjoining garage, radiant heated floors, a top floor loft, porches, and spacious rear deck. In 2007 Mary Lynn filed a deed consolidating the two adjoining lots into one, known as 311 Bourbon Street.

This new property was bought in 2007 by Richard Bechtel II and Gina L. Bechtel who enjoyed the home for six years while he served as an attorney at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. When moving to Pennsylvania they sold it to Christopher M. DiTomaso and his wife, Elizabeth. They sold the property in 2017 to Angela Rolfingsmeyer and Kyle M. Fordham (1987-2019). Warrant Officer Fordham grew up in New York and also worked at the Aberdeen Proving Ground; he died unexpectedly in April 2019 having had an outstanding military career.

Angela Rolfingsmeyer sold this property in 2021 to Dayna M. Kilduff and Gregory L. Frazier.

County Records
Built 1940. 1832 sq ft, 2.5 stories, no basement, 2.5 baths, detached garage, porches, 5750 sq ft lot.